[thelist] CSS: question about @import

[Bill Mason]

At 12:29 PM 07/25/2002, Chris W. Parker wrote:
>won't the older browser(s) just skip over the css it does not understand?

Ideally, yes.  The problem comes from buggy browsers like NN4 that *think*
they understand the CSS, but render it in such a broken way as to destroy
the page.

>also, when you import an advanced stylesheet, does it override
>everything in the primitive stylesheet? or does it just add-on to it?

It adds on.  Any rules in the primitive sheet that are also in the imported
sheet use the imported rules.  So for example, if all P tags are colored
red in the primitive sheet and green in the imported one, green wins out.

>in conclusion, please point out WHY i need to seperate the two, or why
>it doesn't matter. (i.e. i can stick everything in one css file and let
>the browser deal with it.)

If you don't care how the page breaks, then put it all in one
place....  Otherwise separate it.  Or hide all the CSS in the import and
just give NN4 unstyled pages.

>references of course are welcomed.

Try taking NN4 through these test pages and you can see how it can really
screw up.
http://www.richinstyle.com/test/
(especially things like float, line height, margin just to pick a few).

Bill Mason
Accessible Internet
evolt at accessibleinter.net
http://www.accessibleinter.net/